GAZA, Nov 11 (Reuters) – A child died in an incubator at Gaza’s largest hospital after the power misplaced energy, and one other particular person was killed by an Israeli shell in intensive care, a spokesperson for the Palestinian well being ministry mentioned on Saturday.

Israel’s army, which residents mentioned had been fighting Hamas gunmen all night time in and round Gaza City the place the hospital is positioned, didn’t instantly reply to questions on the feedback from well being ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra.

“The situation is worse than anyone can imagine. We are besieged inside the Al Shifa Medical Complex, and the occupation has targeted most of the buildings inside,” mentioned Qidra, who represents the well being ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

The Israeli army has mentioned that Hamas militants who rampaged by means of southern Israel final month have positioned command centres beneath Shifa hospital and others in Gaza, making them weak to being thought-about army targets.

“The hospitals need to be evacuated in order to deal with Hamas. We intend on dealing with Hamas who have turned hospitals into fortified positions,” it mentioned in response to the query of whether or not it deliberate to enter Gaza hospitals sooner or later.

Hamas has denied utilizing civilians as human shields and well being officers say rising numbers of Israeli strikes on or close to hospitals put in danger sufferers, medical employees and 1000’s of evacuees who’ve taken shelter in and close to their buildings.

Qidra mentioned Israeli military snipers commandeering rooftops of buildings close to the hospital fired into the medical advanced every so often, limiting the flexibility of medics and folks to maneuver.

The Israeli army didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The hospital suspended operations after gas ran out, Qidra mentioned, including: “As a result, one newborn baby died inside the incubator, where there are 45 babies.”

Hamas denies utilizing the hospital for its army functions and has requested the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to ship missions to return to Shifa to research the Israeli allegations.

The Palestinian Health Ministry, which relies within the Israeli-occupied West Bank – separated from Gaza by Israel and run by a rival administration to Hamas – mentioned individually that 39 infants had been in danger on the hospital.

Minister Mai Alkaila had initially mentioned they’d died as a result of they may not get oxygen or medication to them and electricty was reduce off, however the ministry later corrected the data to say that one had died and 39 had been in danger.

“39 premature babies in Al-Shifa Medical Complex are threatened with death at any moment, and one of them died this morning. Failure to bring fuel into the hospitals will be a death sentence for the rest. The incubators will only be able to work until this evening, after which the fuel will run out.”

Contacted once more in regards to the ministry’s assertion, Qidra reiterated that there was no electrical energy on the hospital and no web.

“We are working hard to keep them alive, but we are afraid we may lose them in the coming hours,” he mentioned. “There is no electricity in the hospital completely.”

On Friday, Gaza officers had mentioned missiles landed in a courtyard of Al Shifa, killing one particular person and wounding others. Israel’s army mentioned later {that a} misfired projectile launched by Palestinian militants in Gaza had hit Shifa.

World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned well being employees the group was involved with at Shifa had been compelled to go away the hospital seeking security.

“Many of the thousands sheltering at the hospital are forced to evacuate due to security risks, while many still remain there,” Tedros wrote on social media on Friday.

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